thinking of going carb'd (another one)

sbftech said:

I been carb'd for 20+ years. I would never go efi, just look at 5-6 forums and the dozens and dozens of efi problem threads, it's always something wrong, I got no time for that hassle. What do you want to know? What's your setup?

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jrichker said:

Wait till emissions testing comes to where you live, or you move to someplace where it is mandatory. Then you can join crazypete in singing the "My carb won't pass emissions testing" blues.

I have had my Mustang for 14+ years and the computer and EFI system have been the most reliable things on it.

The main problem with EFI is that people hack at it without understanding how it really works. Ignorance breaks all kinds of things...

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jrichker said:

Wait till emissions testing comes to where you live, or you move to someplace where it is mandatory. Then you can join crazypete in singing the "My carb won't pass emissions testing" blues.

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crazypete said:

Just cause something is not easy doesnt make it not worth doing. Besides, if the epa smog nazis have their way, in a few years, older cars will be subjected to more and more stringent emissions laws until they choke everyone into buying new cars every 5-7 years.

I ran my efi on an 87 and a 91 and it was the most unreliable system ever. My 87's EEC-4 died twice, countless O2 sensors on both machines, the 91's MAF toasted and so did the EEC. Both cars left me by the side of the road countless times.

With my carb almost perfect reliabilty. It doesnt always run right...but it always runs. Sure I've had a few mishaps too but every time I "break down by the side of the road", I walk up front and jiggle some levers and spray some carb cleaner and am driving away 10 minutes later.

Exhaust leak on an EFI....kiss your drivability goodby. Exhaust leak on a carbed car? It doesnt care.

Got a flashy new cam and heads.....get ready to spend $$$ on injectors and throttle body and MAF and maybe a chip or tweecer. Same thing on a carb......$7 worth of jets and turning a few screws.

Something breaks on an EFI.....big $$$. Something goes wrong on a carb...a couple $5 springs or gaskets. Or just repalce your entire fuel metering system (the carb) for $300.

EFI is nice but expensive and quite frankly....if something doesnt work on a carb, I can understand it. It's a box with gas in it and levers and springs. When something stops working on an efi.....who knows why. You get to query some codes and start replacing expensive sensors and components only to find out 3 weeks later that it was a loose wire on a harness tucked away under the dash.

As far as drivability, apart from my "boo hoo, MA shafted me on emissions", I have never had any driveability problems that I couldnt fix in an afternoon easy. I drive this thing in cold new england winters with cold starts and I have no complaints. Thats what a choke is for.

Bottom line:

1. Carb is cheap, understandable, simple and acessible and get you 90-95% of the way there. When it works, it's good and when it doesnt, it still works somewhat.

2. Efi gets you 98-99% of the way there, is complex and expensive and diffficult to understand. When it works properly, it's a jewel of driveability and power. When it doesnt work, it really doesnt work (this is what got me).

Try the carb but keep your efi setup in a box. Carb conversion can easily be done for under $1000 and under $500 with used parts.

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